Idle Thoughts, while waiting for Aroldis Chapman to throw a strike, the return of GameDay and for Cam Newton to get his vaccine:

• Dr. Idle, Dr. I to his close friends, has been known to throw a tantrum or two in his day.

But never in his hallowed existence — not even when that dope Doug Pederson threw the game and cost the Giants a playoff spot last year — has Dr. I been as incensed, infuriated and irascible as these "unmask our kids" creatures who disrupted Gov. Lamont's news conference last week.

Gloryoski. Was Vesuvius ever that volcanic? Are their lives THAT miserable? Dr. I is thinking that life in Cheshire, where the conniptions happened, is fairly, you know, idyllic.

Once again: It's a mask, not a catheter.

Mix in some decaf.

And stop feigning moral outrage. It's unbecoming.

• Happy to report that Dr. I cabinet member Mike Buscetto is back as the chairman for the annual Safe Futures 4K Safe Walk.

The walk will be Oct. 17 at Waterford High. Same day registration begins at 8:15 a.m. and walkers hit the track at 9 a.m. Participants can also register ahead of the event online at https://lnkd.in/dCpcSvjD or by visiting Filomena's where forms are also available.

Safe Futures is a non-profit, serving victims of domestic violence.

Nobody is more civic minded than Buscetto. This is for a great cause. So let's go.

• Our guy Jared Kotler, who runs the CT Scoreboard Podcast (worth a listen) says "the new Yankees/Red Sox rivalry is to see who has the worst closer."

No arguments from this corner.

• Here is one Dr. I saw last week: "The year 1939 is as close to 1980 as 1980 is to 2021."

Gulp.

Dr. I remembers 1980. (Lowlight: George Brett homered off Goose Gossage late in the ALCS and the Royals finally beat the Yankees).

But if you had mentioned "1939" to Dr. I in 1980, he'd have figured that was right about the time Fred and Wilma were eating Bronto Burgers.

Good heavens. The kids think WE are all that old now.

Sigh.

• Congrats to the great Tom Cantone of Mohegan Sun, recently named the by Celebrity Access as "Innovator of the Year."

Cantone is the Sun's President of Sports and Entertainment and the point man in getting the ECC basketball championships and now the upcoming Day Holiday Classic to Mohegan Sun Arena. The award recognizes Cantone as "largely responsible for revolutionizing casino entertainment to one of the most ambitious and wide-reaching on the planet."

Couldn't have said it better.

• Isn't it interesting how all the infectious disease experts have suddenly morphed into military strategists?

• Social media (Twitter) recently offered its best college football names for the upcoming season. Dr. I's favorites:

Tank Bigsby (Auburn), Connor Assalley (Iowa State), Octavious Oxendine (Kentucky), Smoke Monday (Auburn) and Buck Coors (Wyoming).

• RIP, Bobby Bowden. Greatest postgame line ever came when Bowden sent two cliches into a crossing pattern: "If you put all your eggs in one basket, you're barking up the wrong tree."

• Reminder: GameDay returns Sept. 9 with Ledyard-Stonington boys' soccer and a night later with Killingly-Waterford football.

Tune in.

It's what all the cool people do.

• Quiz: Name a phrase or a line from a TV show you watched as a kid without naming the show. Dr. I's three favorites:

"Will you stifle yourself?"

"Missed it by that much."

"Oh, Oscar, Oscar, Oscar."

How about you?

• Congrats to Andrew Cavasino, who recently shot rounds of 64 and 63 within a week of each other at Great Neck Country Club.

If that guy were any more en fuego, he'd have to stop, drop and roll.

This is the opinion of Day sports columnist Mike DiMauro